Bug#45406: PROPOSAL] Config files must have manpages
On Sat, Sep 18, 1999 at 01:32:54PM -0400, Bob Hilliard wrote:
> Raphael Hertzog <rhertzog@hrnet.fr> writes:
>
> > Le Sat, Sep 18, 1999 at 04:10:42AM -0300, Nicolás Lichtmaier écrivait:
> > > Package: debian-policy
> > > Severity: wishlist
> > > Version: 3.0.1.1
> > >
> > > Most configuration files have manpages, but not all. It would be useful
> > > if every config file (intended to be edited) would be forced to be
> > > documented in a manpage.
> >
> > No I don't think that it's good idea. There's no point adding a bunch of
> > undocumented symlink to all missing man page for configuration file. :-)
> >
> > I agree that having a man page for the configuration file is good but I
> > don't want to force Debian developers to write man page for each
> > configuration file that is not documented upstream. Furthermore some
> > configuration files are well documented but in a file in /usr/share/doc
> > and so on. There's no need to force the existence of a man page.
>
> Many upstream manpages include a section on configuration files.
> In such cases, it would be foolish to require the Debian maintainer to
> produce a stand-alone manpage for the configuration file. IMO, it
> would be preferable to encourage maintainers to add configure file
> information to the executable's manpage. The manpages are for
> information about the executables, not for configuration files.
In those case, a symlink will do the trick, isn't? Also, the whole
section 5 of man is a kind of answer to your last point.
>
> Many default configuration files are self documented by their
> comments. The earlier objections to this that a sysadmin might delete
> the comments are not valid. The sysadmin could delete all
> documentation, including manpages, if he was foolish enough to do so.
> It is not our business to protect a sysadmin from himself.
>
> Bob
> --
> _
> |_) _ |_ Robert D. Hilliard <hilliard@flinet.com>
> |_) (_) |_) Palm City, FL USA PGP Key ID: A8E40EB9
>
>
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